Media Release by Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield

Ministers sign agreement for early NDIS rollout

Joint Media Release with:

  • John Ajaka, NSW Minister for Disability Services

The Commonwealth and NSW Governments today signed an agreement to begin the early rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in the Nepean Blue Mountains area of Western Sydney.

Federal Assistant Minister for Social Services Mitch Fifield and NSW Minister for Disability Services John Ajaka today signed the agreement at an NDIS service provider forum in Penrith attended by more than 150 representatives from more than 50 local organisations that work with children and young people with disability in the area.

Minister Fifield said the agreement underscored the Commonwealth and NSW Governments’ ongoing commitment to deliver the NDIS in full.

“This agreement will deliver the NDIS to about 2,000 children with disability and their families in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains,” Minister Fifield said.

“This agreement is great news for families across Western Sydney, who will get the support they need to help meet the needs of their kids and support them to achieve their goals and aspirations,” Minister Fifield said.

Minister Ajaka said that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding is the next step in delivering a major NSW Government election commitment to bring the NDIS to the Nepean Blue Mountains a year ahead of schedule.

“I am delighted that NSW was the first state to sign up to the NDIS and is now the first state to rollout the Scheme beyond the current trial sites.”

“This early rollout will allow much needed early intervention, and other services, to start flowing to people with disability, their families and carers from September,” Minster Ajaka said.

Under this agreement, young people with disability in the Penrith and Blue Mountains area and their families, will be able to work with Local Area Coordinators from July 2015 to get ready for the NDIS, and will start to work with planners to create their individualised funding package from September.

Ministers Fifield and Ajaka said the Commonwealth and NSW Governments were working closely to finalise the details of the broader rollout of the NDIS across the rest of the State from 2016.